‘So long losers! I’m off to see the world and you’re not!’ Ok, so this is perhaps not the best way to bid farewell to your loved ones as you embark on an epic backpacking journey. But letting your friends, family and more importantly, your parents, know that you are off to explore the big wide world can be one of the aspects of travelling that many people worry about.
I’ve received emails from excitable would-be travellers who are nervous about how to break the news that they are choosing a different path in life, that they won’t be settling down in what their parents see as a stable job just for the moment, as they have this desire in the pit of their stomachs to be out of their home town and well, living their life.
Depending on your age and the people who are closest to you – this could be your parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles …. You get the idea – then the scarier this announcement can be. You don’t want to bring on an early heart attack in your father when you tell him that his princess is going to be volunteering in far flung outer Mongolia. Alone. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have amazing experiences like this but it may change the way you break the news to them, so that you get them on board early on.
Most likely (and depending on how liberal your parents are) letting them know that you’ve been bitten by this travel bug will mean that you will be faced with a whole barrage of questions ranging from how will you afford it, to how the hell will you survive?
When I went off on my first solo backpacking trip my granddad would send me regular reports from the foreign office (their website is super useful and actually worth a read) with a breakdown of the countries I was visiting and the risks I could face. When I was in India it was during the time when a lot of western female backpackers were being raped and attacked. My granddad didn’t send me these updates to scare me into coming home, but to remind me to be extra careful and to be on my guard even more as I travelled around. Knowing that someone back home is worrying about you, I don’t mean that your life choices are causing them sleepless nights but more in a kind and caring way as they follow your journey, helps you to feel less alone.
It is the best feeling in the world when the people you love support your dreams.
Here are my tips on how to announce that you’re going off to travel the world in the best possible way:
Don’t be childish – The chances are it will come as a surprise/shock and people may push back on what they believe to be such preposterous ideas. If this happens, then don’t throw a temper tantrum wailing that they never let you do anything that you want to do and they are RUINING YOUR LIFE. Erm, you’re meant to be showing how mature and adult you are and lying on the floor kicking and screaming will not help your cause.
Respect their views - They are welcome to their thoughts and opinions (no matter how wild and over-reacting they may be) because they love you. It is now your job to show them just why you are ready for this adventure and to minimise the worries they will have as much as you can. Before they lock you up in a mental asylum for daring to live an alternative lifestyle, you need to do the classic thing of stepping into their shoes. For many people who haven’t travelled the thought of swapping their familiar home town for a primitive village on the other side of the world with a language you don’t understand, is utter madness. It’s hard for them to watch their baby flee the nest, they know that one day this will happen but it doesn’t mean it is any easier when that moment comes.
Be prepared - Show them how you are going to be financially capable with the savings you have and even a contingency fund. Show that you have read up on the place you are planning to visit. Show them the contacts that you’ve made (or the people you will be going away with) and give them a rough itinerary and contact details. Let them know that you will schedule calls at set times either on FaceTime or Skype whilst you are away so they can see for themselves how safe and alive you are. Pack condoms, get vaccinations and get the best travel insurance. You’re an adult but even the most adult of adults need to let their parents know they are in control.
Timing is key – Don’t drop this bombshell on them as you ask them to give you a lift to the airport first thing tomorrow for your flight. You will most likely need to give them time for this news to sink in, so pick your moment when you all have enough time to sit and discuss your plans in a polite and respectful way. Get them on board and then enjoy planning your trip together so they feel involved too!
Praise them! - A top tip when telling your parents that you want to travel is to calmly and rationally explain that it is because of their awesome child rearing skills that you have developed this curiosity to see the world. That thanks to them they have instilled in you a strong independent streak, that you are intelligent, have bucket loads of common sense and that they did a good job. So, technically it is their fault they raised such an adventurer!
Stick to your guns – This may be the complete opposite of all I have advised above but you have to remember that at the end of the day this is YOUR LIFE.
You should be happy, you should be able to live your own life, but it is so much easier with the love and support of those around you. Even if your parents are not huge fans of the idea after all you have done to reassure them, and show them how capable and grown-up you are, then you need to make the decision to live your life the way that you want and that the choices you make (however foolish they may seem to others) it is you who has to live with the consequences.
Oh, and don’t let them watch Taken.
Do you have any advice for others who may be in the same boat? If so, please do share all in the comments below!
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{Psst. Before you go have you entered my competition to win a travel bundle, perfect to set you up for your backpacking trip?
Simply click here for all the details! Good luck!}
